Our dog is in a lot of pain, what can we do
When it is bothering him, he walks with his head somewhat down and turned to the left, and he is unable to turn his head to the right. There seems to be an area that is warm to the touch at the very top of what I believe to be his shoulder. On Thursday, when I gently manipulated that area he yelped. Then the pain went away. Then it returned Thursday night. Then it went away. It was absent Friday at the vet's office and returned Friday night for a bit. Today (Saturday) it was absent until this afternoon and has not abated since. We have been treating with 325mg aspirin twice per day, and have now increased to double that- 650mg twice per day (now at 7mg per pound twice per day). The vet had said that 325 twice was the correct dose, but I think that was way low from memory and from a quick skim of the 'net. Now Joan and he are sleeping on the floor but every time he moves he is in pain. Of course the vet is closed for the weekend. So what are we to do? What if his pain becomes intractable during the weekend or off-hours? We feel so helpless... |
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| I should also mention that he had occasional yelps over the last couple of weeks that were probably related but were way too transient for us to diagnose or frankly to be extremely concerned about. We just thought he landed the wrong way or his paw had fallen asleep, as all was well in a minute or two. |
| Oh my gosh, poor baby. I hate it that they can't tell us whats wrong. Of course he didn't do it at the regular vets...that would have been easy. Its weird that the aspirin is not working. If you feel that the pain becomes worse and nothing is working(hot water bottle on the shoulder maybe), get out your pocket book and take him to the ER. Maybe just take him anyway, now while the pain is happening so it will be easier to diagnose. What did your regular vet think it could be? |
| I'm sorry, Ron & Joan. It's so difficult to see our dogs in pain and not be able to help. I know first hand how helpless you're feeling.  Aspirin probably isn't enough for his level of pain. Is there a vet on-call that you could phone? If you call the vet's office, does a recording tell you what to do if you need medical help after hours? With the way he's holding his head, I wonder it's something to do with his neck/back. Dogs in pain will often hold their heads low and walk quickly. Kind of like they want to get away from what's causing their pain. Is his temperature normal? I have no medical training but would a heating pad help any... or maybe an ice pack? Again, I don't have any medical expertise. Please see who's on call. I know you and Joan are suffering right along with Mulligan. |
| He's not in intractable constant pain, just when he moves. I'm very afraid that he might get into a state where he's in constant pain. Right now he and Joan are on the floor. He's facing in a way that prevents him from looking up a d to the right to see me at the door, so I can't tell if he's sleeping or awake. The hot water bottle is a good idea! If nothing else it may make us feel better. |
Poor Mullie! That sounds similar to something Chum experienced a couple of times where she collapsed and then she had intermittent sharp pain and limping on one side and the low head. You can see it clearly in this picture, which was right before she collapsed. That was such different body posture than she usually had. I forget what the doctor's thought it was (some sort of auto-immune inflammation) but I know they told me that I must crate her and really not let her get up for several days to see if it would subside. After a few hours, I freaked out and took her to the emergency vet and they took care of her. Her whole saga is a distant memory but what I remember was that I was supposed to keep her immobilized and see if it went away. In terms of pain, I'd be careful with the aspirin on his tummy. Is it buffered? Can you give it with food? If it continues to tomorrow, I would take him to the emergency vet.  |
| Poor Mulligan! I'm so sorry, Ron. I had a dog once, not OES, who had some of those symptoms. Like Mulligan, when I took him to the emergency vet, he exhibited no symptoms. Then one day this poor little dog just started screaming in pain and lost the use of his back legs. My regular vet referred me to a neurological specialist, and it turned out he had a ruptured disc in his spine, requiring surgery. But once he had the surgery he was fine for years. I hope that Mulligan's problems are less serious than that. Thoughts and prayers for you and Joan and Mulligan. |
| That breaks my heart to hear. Poor Mulligan. I have no advice, but my fingers are crossed that pain can be relieved. |
| Ron it may be a bit late now. But definitely be careful with the aspirin, it will be hard on Mulligan's tummy and not necessarily stong enough for the pain. Our last dalmo had what sound like the same symptoms. A course of doggie anti inflammatories did the trick. It was a long time ago but I remember we had almost exactly the same sounding symptoms. Walking funny, not wanting to lift his head, yelping. It was Saturday, we took him to the vet, nothing. So came home with instuctions to rest. Two hours later he was yelping/screaming with pain. So I called the vet back in a panic, she said to come straight back in and gave him a muscle relaxant injection and the proper anti inflamms. If I remember correctly it settled in quite a short space of time, certainly in under 2 weeks. An Xray later showed a lot of arthritis in his neck. It was sooo horrible to have him in pain I sympathise with you and Joan. I hope its something simple and easy to sort out. |
| i'm rather surprised the vet didn't xray mulligan, i would be wanting that pronto. sure points to a pinched nerve or disc problem and would either clarify it or move on to towards arthritis or whatever else it might be. an anti-inflamatory would be more helpful than aspirin as previously suggested. hoping for quick diagnosis and recovery mullie. |
| Poor Mulligan! When one of my oldies had bad muscle pain i used an electric heat pad on him.I layed him down near me then wrapped the heat pad around the area that was was hurting .He would lay there for hours with the heat pad on his hips  |
| Poor Mulligan.... Sorry he's hurting. Hugs to you guys to. Lisa and Frankie |
| That is tough on all of you. Did you find an emergency vet? |
Bellalover wrote: My regular vet referred me to a neurological specialist, and it turned out he had a ruptured disc in his spine, requiring surgery. That brings back memories! That was one of the causes the vets considered for Chumley too. I had forgotten but that was why it was crucial not to let her move, in case it was that. A few days of crate rest were to determine whether it was a disc/spine issue or inflammation. (Turned out, she had spinal cord compression coupled with periodic inflammation). |
| Metacam might be helpful. How's your buddy this morning? |
| oh..ron...I am so sorry..hopefully he will be painfree today.Then, tomorrow, you can call the vet and he him do some xrays or recommend a specialist. |
| My previous dog (Beardie) had the exact same symptoms as Mulligan only she held her paw up like she wanted to shake - it was a vertebrae problem in her neck. This was 18 years ago so I am sure there are other ways to help him. Fortunately, the prednisone did the trick as neck surgery was not recommended back then for a dog. She never wore a collar again but instead a harness (I called it her bra) - I was very careful with her neck and she lived to be 13.5 years pain-free. I would say some xrays and ultra sounds will diagnose the problem. Good luck and I hope Mulligan finds relief very soon. |
| Oh Ron, so sorry to hear Mulligan is not feeling well. We JUST had my BF's dog to the vet yesterday for the same symptons, neck pain, head low all the time.. and favouring one side over the other, Roman (the dog) has had this on and off for a few months. Here is what our vet recommended to us to try. No more collars or halties on the walk.. use a harness, (makes sense to us, as no pulling on the area that is sore) gently massage the neck when at rest and she recommended Robaxin for him, we got them at our local drugstore from the pharamist for 6 cents per pill, you don't need a prescription for them, but they are stored behind the counter, here in Canada at least. It is a muscle relaxer, if you are going to go this route, make sure the are Robaxin. we are going to try this for a month to see if there is any improvement and if not then we will go the xray route. Hopefully, Mulligan feels better soon. |
| Poor Mully . I hope the vet can figure out whats wrong and get him some relief from the pain. |
| I've had this problem happen a couple of times with José. It basically is similar to us having a "stiff" neck & not being able to turn our neck from 1 side to the other. It usually happens when he his playing with one of the other dogs & goes to try to avoid them coming at him..........a quick snap to 1 side or the other. The 1st time it happened it scared us to death. I started him on rimadyl & by the time the vet opened on Monday, he was better but not 100%. Antinflamatory & REST are the keys to healing. Luckily he's the kind of dog that is content to lay in his kennel if he has another dog nearby. Vet said neck injury is probably the worst pain a dog can endure. Their head weighs alot & is supported solely by their neck. Hope he is doing better. It took about 5 days for me to feel comfortable with José. My clue was he kept turning in 1 direction to go inside or outside. |
| Poor Mulligan and poor you too. Its horrible to see your friend in pain I know. Sorry I don't have any additional advice but I hope Mully starts to feel better soon and you can worry a little less. Give him a scruffle from me ....gently! |
| Any word on poor Mulligan? I am coming in late to this post but I agree not to sue such a high does of human aspirin. We use Dermanex for antiinflamatory and Tramadol for pain more than that. I don't know if I would use a heating pad or hot water bottle. I know from my own human back/neck probmes, heat causes it to swell and can make things worse. Ice is what is usually recommended to bring down the inflamation. Hope he is better. Awaiting anxiously for an update and hope to hear good news  |
| After a long sleepless (for Mulligan and me, Joan seems to have slept fairly well on the floor ) night and after a couple more doses of aspirin (we also are using Tagamet as a stomach protectant), Mulligan seems to have less pain. He was very careful about moving but I think that it was more fear of pain than actual pain. We've seen his pain go away only to return with a vengeance, so we are cautiously optimistic at the moment and doing our best to keep him QUIET and at rest. |
Quote: Mulligan seems to have less pain.  That's good news!Quote: We have been treating with 325mg aspirin twice per day, and have now increased to double that- 650mg twice per day (now at 7mg per pound twice per day). The vet had said that 325 twice was the correct dose, but I think that was way low from memory and from a quick skim of the 'net. This link might help with the aspirin dosage- http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 3&aid=1379 When you speak with the vet, ask if you can keep something on hand so if this same pain occurs again on the weekend you'll have something stronger to ease his pain (which will also ease your suffering too!  ). We have Metacam that Panda now takes occasionally and Tramadol that she's so far taken only once when she over did it. |
| Oh...sorry to here mully is in pain! aww hope he feels better soon ronnie. keep us updated.. |
| Paige Pyr would have these episodes. She got to where she come to me with her head down. After a few massages which she relished and wanted to last for hours, I thought about a Homedic massager. I tried it on her and unlike all the other dogs, she did not run the other way. After about 20 minutes you could see her relax and fall asleep. (I'd also get her facing towards me, head down and gently pull as if to get everything back in position.) She'd sleep for several hours and wake up better, not perfect. A few days of Tagamet and aspirin or later Rimadyl to ease the inflammation and she was fine......along with a few more mechanical massages. Vet finally decided pinched nerve since the Xray was inconclusive, maybe some disc problem or compression, but not definitive. Maybe have been caused by some roughhousing with the boys....even years before. |
| Poor Mulligan I'd have xrays done to be on the safe side, not treating a mild condition can of course lead to a serious condition that won't respond to treatment as well later. Metacam is probably better for his pain I would think... aspirin can be helpful for something mild and occasional but not daily (without knowing why for so many days). It's changing his platelets too each day you give it to him and that's not something you necessarily want without knowing what's going on. If he needed surgery for example that aspirin is thinning his blood which can make surgery or even an injury more dangerous. Hope he feels better soon. |
| Glad Mulligan seems to be feeling better. Not that I am a big believer, but have you thought about a dog chiropractor? Some people swear by them... I assume you will be seeing the Vet tomorrow? Good Luck! And Joan has my sympathies. I slept on the floor with my babies many a night. Really showed me what a messy disgusting floor my floor was...we now have a new wood floor! Good Luck Mulligan! |
| How is he doing Ron? Murphy Had a little bout with that a few months back.. He wouldn't lift his head.. It passed, hopefully Mulligan's will too.. |
| I'm so sorry Ron and Joan. Please keep us informed. Please keep us informed on Mulligan and after you see the vet tomorrow!! I remember/know what some sleepless nights are like! |
| So sorry to read this about Mulligan. Hugs to you and Joan as well. Its so hard to watch the hanging head posturing that our babies do when ill. I hope your vet will be able to offer the right combo of therapy to make Mulligan 100%. Good luck today!! |
| Good luck with Mulligan today. Glad he's feeling a little better. Hoping for a speedy recovery. Hugs to you and Joan Lisa and Frankie |
| Just catching up, and I hope Mulligan is doing better. Any news?? |
| Any news guys??? |
| So far he's doing well. No more apparent/overwhelming/yelping pain, and he seems to be tolerating the Bufferin and Tagamet fairly well. He had been licking his forelegs last evening so I assumed there was some discomfort somewhere. Unsure if it was the shoulder or his tummy, I dialed the aspirin back to just 325mg last night. We are watching and waiting and hoping. |
Ron wrote: We are watching and waiting and hoping. Me too!!!! |
| Hows Mulligan doing today? Hope he's starting to feel better. Also hoping Ron and Joan are doing better. Sheepie Hugs Lisa and Frankie |
| I am so sorry to hear about your boy, how is he doing ??How are you and Joan doing?? What did the vet say?? Poor baby........ |
| Poor Mulligan.... Glad to hear he is doing better -- Beatrice wish him a quick and full recovery. |
| It is hard to see our babies in pain. Hugs to you all. |
| Well, I noticed he was panting a lot, so I stopped the aspirin and Tagamet completely last night. Today the panting appears to have stopped and he's not licking his foreleg and he's not in any obvious pain. We continue to keep him quiet and hope for the best. |
| We experienced symptoms with Oliver somewhat like what Mulligans going through. We thought he injured himself playing, although we couldn't identify where he was injured. We used Rymadil and rest to ease the pain. It was not a physical injury. I would suggest a blood panel just to eliminate any internal issues. These boys are so stoic you just don't know it hurts until it really hurts. |
| I lost track of the news...Did you go to your Vet? I found that giving a pepcid AC a bout half an hour before the medicine helped soothe the tummy....I know from watching the weather, we are all exopecting a major storm up the coast and into the Boston area. Just be sure you have whatever meds you need because by Thursday or Friday, we all on the coast might be in trouble. Keeping paws crossed... |
| I hope Mulligan is doing much better. Violet just had similar symptoms this week. I was very ill on Tuesday and when Chuck got home from work he said "what is wrong with Violet's neck?" I hadn't noticed anything, but sure enough she was not holding it up...so I rubbed it for a while and gave her some aspirin. The next morning I rubbed her neck some more and gave her more aspirin and by midday her head was up again and she has been fine ever since, thank God. She never did cry from the pain, but my Vet once said that dogs will take a lot of pain before they will cry so not a good indicator of how much pain they are in. Also, my sweet girl never stopped eating, when her food was put in front of her she ate every kibble, though I had to make sure I placed it in the right location for her neck. I'm glad this episode is over for now. It is hard getting old...she'll be 8 in Nov. |
| How is Violet doing today.....???? And Mulligan?????? Hoping everyone is on the mend!!!!!! |
| Violet is back to her normal self. Thank you for asking Val. I did give her another aspirin this morning to help her out. I hope Mulligan is doing better. |
| Yesterday Mulligan started to get itchy all over. We started some benedryl. Then about half an hour ago his neck and/or shoulder is in pain again. Joan has just taken him to the vet. She's there now. I'm waiting to hear. |
Keep us posted Ron. We will keep our fingers crossed that it is nothing serious. |
| Poor baby hope they can find out what is causing the pain, keeping everything crossed for Mulligan |
| Sending Mulligan get well prayers. |
cynmcreid wrote: Sending Mulligan get well prayers. I am also sending get well prayers...please keep us posted!!! Poor Mulligan....  |
| Ron and Joan and Mulligan, We here, are sending you LOTS of White light and prayers!! Poor baby. There is just nothing worse than a beloved OES that dowsn't feel well. I hope they find out the cause of his pain and can stabelize him at least. I remember when Myrlin hit the tent pole when we were showing, and chipped a bone in his shoulder/upper neck area. Before we could get home from the show he had licked all the hair off of his front leg from the referred pain. (we didn't know this for some time what was causing this!) We had to do a MRI to figure out what was causing the problem. again White light and lots of prayers!! |
| Well, the vet thinks it is a disc issue. Tramadol and Deramax for a month or some such. Meanwhile, we are back to where we were three or four days ago. It's gonna be a long nite. |
| Oh boy poor Mullie! Poor Ron and Joan! That really stinks. I hope the fact that it has been intermittent is a good sign. I bet the painkillers/anti-inflammatories will have him feeling better fast but the key will be to keep him resting even after he starts to feel better. Hang in there! |
| After coming home, Mulligan was in bad pain, yelping repeatedly if he tried to lie down with his head on his right side. Finally he got some rest lying on the right with his head left, not a very usual position but it didn't look too bad. After some snoozing he got to his feet and took two steps and I heard a very loud "Crack!" He didn't seem to notice it, but clearly while he was still favoring his side it was because of habit and not current pain. Unfortunately it was still a very long night as he just can't stop scratching. You'd think the tramadol (and benedryl) would slow it down a little... So now he's in a very fashionable T-shirt and socks, ready for a hurricane pageant. |
| Poor Mulligan Hope those meds kick in so he can get some rest (and you and Joan as well!!) |
| I'd be looking into doggie chiropractor or acupuncture. These episodes do repeat. We never had to go that far with Paige, my gentle manipulation, massage and Rimadyl seemed to put her right. Do you think his itching is due to numbness or tingling?? |
| I hope Mulligan feels better--I hate when our babies are in pain |
Oh poor Mulligan! And poor you and Joan  Could his itching be from one of the medicines? Tramadol helps with eh apin and dermax helps with the inflamation...Could he be allergic to one of them? My dogs have taken both together and no problem. Bt all dogs are different.I hear you on the hurricane bracing. We are right now just starting to get the effects of Earl here on Long Island, NY....Caution... Mass is expected to get a big hit. Hope you fare well and hope Mulligan feels better! |
| Sorry to hear the Mulligan wasn't feeling so great Ron. Hopefully he is feeling better now. Hope Violet feels better too. |
| Have been following this post even though I haven't posted before now. I cringe and tear up when I hear of a dog in back pain because of what we went thru with Drez. Her's was hip related, but still - her walking and stance were affected. Hopefully the meds kick in soon for Mulligan - poor baby! Gentle hugs to that boy, please! And a gentle kiss from Miss Sammie. |
| Hugs to Mulligan (gentle ones of course). Here's hoping the Tramadol works its magic quickly. We had Portage on that, and it was very effective with pain. Here's to a calm, quiet night for Mulligan and a much better morning. |
| He isn't in any apparent pain (and this guy is not particularly stoic, so we're pretty sure) but he's still itchy. Mulligan gets the itchies after being groomed. We have several theories and a few of them relate to very short hair so we have had the groomer leave his hair much longer than usual. The last two times have been perfect. This time, the itchies showed up right after the pain which was a day after grooming. We're not entirely convinced his neck didn't get aggravated during the grooming process as well. |
| Poor Mulligan, it is so hard to hear them in pain. And see them itchy too. Our Shih Tzu gets very itch if she is shaved too close and rubs her self quite raw. After her last grooming she wore knee socks for 3 days. Hopefully his hair will grow quickly and his pain will go away even quicker. Hugs to Mulligan from Willow! Lisa |
Ron wrote: He isn't in any apparent pain (and this guy is not particularly stoic, so we're pretty sure) but he's still itchy. Mulligan gets the itchies after being groomed. We have several theories and a few of them relate to very short hair so we have had the groomer leave his hair much longer than usual. The last two times have been perfect. This time, the itchies showed up right after the pain which was a day after grooming. We're not entirely convinced his neck didn't get aggravated during the grooming process as well. RON!!!! This makes Wonderful sense to me! And trust me i have been thru ti starting with Myrlin. All he neeed was his last major to finish. There wasn't ANYTHING he wouldn't do to get to that front forpaw and LICK......and ALWAYS right before a show........ The referred pain went right down from his neck to his paw......... It took us 2 years and a MRI to figure out what was going on......... Oh Mulligy........... it'll get better. Ask dad about a childrens benedryl maybe for your itchies???? |
| We gave him 75mg benedryl 3x a day without much success. He is loopy with or without the benedryl. The tramadol seems to affect him profoundly. He just sits and stares, doesn't get up for mommy coming home, doesn't want to go for a walk. It's just like a very senior dog. Very odd. |
| Ron, humans can be allergic to aspirin. I think its around 1% (dont quote me, I didnt look it up)in the general population and higher in those who suffer from asthma. One of the most common reactions in humans is itchness/rash. I dont know if dogs can be allergic but it might be worth asking your vet in case that's why Mully is itchy. If he's allergic to aspirin then he is more likely to be allergic to other NSAID too, so probably worth having that conversation with your vet. |
| agree with mim and also that pinched merves can cause itching sensation. |
| Thanks for the suggestion. I will ask the vet about it, but the itches are something we've gone through with Mulligan every spring until this year when we didn't have him cut short. Mulligan seems to be doing much better now, stopping the benedryl seems to have given him his mind back and he is still scratching just about the same. It never works. The neck is quiet at the moment and he's still on tramadol. I am debating whether or not to start the Deramaxx; the vet said to wait 3 days after stopping aspirin but the manufacturer's website says 5 to 7 days. Then again he wasn't on for very long... and I'd hate to start this if it won't be needed... But who can see the future? Sigh. I'm just so happy that Mulligan came to say hello this morning. |
 Keep getting better...Mulligan!!!!! We are thinking about you ...Heart wants to give him a huge sheepie  and |
| Aww thats great that Mulligan came to say good morning. We hope that he keeps getting better.. Lisa and Frankie |
| Aspirin changes the blood cells, until the end of that cell's natural life which is about 8 days. The body is always building new cells though so if the vet thought 3 days would be enough it probably is.... |
| For what it's worth, my foster basset Harley is on Deramaxx and he's doing great. He has a fused elbow from arthritis that made him yelp in pain when he would lay down - and he'd jump back upright. Now he's back to a happy active life. He's also on a very low dose based on his weight - so I'm sold on it. He was also getting grumpy and crotchety, now he's back to his happy self. I'm glad we trialed it, did the bloodwork and it's working! |
| We alos were on Dermax for a while for an injry to the leg. Gave aspirin first and then Dermax. I gave a pepcid ac about half and hour before the dermanex ( speeling?) and no problmes what so ever. I did find the Dermanex was better at brining down inflamation. I would listen to the Vet. If you start reading everything on the internet and the cautions in the drugs ( even for humans) you will be fearful of taking anything! So what is the ultimate goal for Mulligan? Are they hoping the neck/back will align itself once the infmalation goes down? I know that recently happened to me as a human. My back was so bad I couldn't dress myselk and was hardly walking. A few days of ice and anti inflmatories, I was back to my old self. Hope the same happens to Mulligan. |
| I hope Mullie kicks this thing! How's he doing? I am so sorry he and you are going through this. It really stinks when our dogs are in distress and we don't exactly know why. |
| I am sorry to not have read through this thread before. I hope that Mulligan continues to improve. As mentioned in another thread, Archie is now on Deramaxx and it is helping him immensely, at least for now. We were able to cut the dosage back to half and still give him good results. Archie went 'down' very quickly and of course, when we were out of town and our daughter (who grew up with Archie) was staying with him. It took him a few days to bounce back but once the deramaxx kicked in, he was almost his old self again and now, he is totally his old self, even on half a dose. In Archie's case, it doesn't sound like this will last nearly as long as we'd like but for now, we are grateful for the reprieve for him. Have they done x-rays? I am pretty sure I'd find a new groomer if you feel somewhat confident this can be traced back to his last grooming. |
| Hey Ron, How is Mulligan going? |
| MY older dog Tonka is on Tramadol and Meloxicam for his arthritis and a blown out back knee... It makes a HUGE difference; if we miss even a dose of the Meloxicam, I can see a painful difference in him... Meloxicam is also an anti-inflammatory and is the only drug that has really helped with Tonka’s arthritis... (He’s tried rymadil and all those others with no success...) Both of these are on the generic programs at Fred Meyer, Walgreens and such, so if they have to go on them long term, it really can save some $$$.. Both are only $4 per refill here in Oregon. I hope Mulligan's feeling better soon!!! Good luck! |
| He's the same -- we're still limiting his activity and he's on Tramadol. We're likely to start the Deramaxx tonight. He seems quite happy and not in ANY apparent pain. We're hoping some time to heal and then taking him off the meds will keep him in good shape for a while. If not then he'll go back on the meds I guess. I don't know about major surgery --if it is even possible for whatever ails him-- I guess we'll cross that bridge if/when we get there. |
| Is it possible Mulligan is being restrained at the groomers by his neck on a table arm and that is the start of his discomfort? |
| At this point we don't THINK it's the groomer's fault or even likely caused by the groomer. Well Mulligan had another problem a few days ago after another short ride in the car. His issues seem to have come after car rides; we don't know if it is the way he stands or lies down or is excited or getting in and out or what. He's still on the Deramaxx and tramadol. |
| It's hard figuring out what is going on, over the years too I have never let my dogs jump out of the car as I learnt a lesson there with one injuring herself on the way interstate to a dog show years ago flying leap out of the car and landing the wrong way. I let them jump in but always assist them out especially as they get older, it only takes to land the wrong way and "Bingo" pull, sprain etc. Hoping you can figure out what is going on with Mulligan |
| What a long night. Mulligan was barfing all night long. I don't have the patience to type all the details right now, but Mulligan and I were up all night; Joan is in Rochester. Off to the vet this morning and we have a diagnosis with which to work: Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis. Mulligan tested positive for both. Treatment? Doxycycline. Prognosis? Excellent. In fact the vet says the response to the Doxy should be extremely quick, 24 to 48 hours. Drawback? Tummy upset, and given that he was puking his guts out that's a real concern. So I've got my fingers and mulligan's paws crossed. Cost? $542 for the Exam, tests, IV fluids and IV anti-nausea meds and the Doxy. Ouch. |
| Poor Mulligan! Poor you! Wow, Lyme Disease. So difficult to figure out, and yet so simple to fix. Doxycycline is a wonder drug, so it should begin to work quickly, when Mulligan can keep it down. Oscar has taken doxy for MRSI, and it's the only antibiotic that doesn't give him tummy trouble with his IBD. Oscar is on it right now, as a matter of fact, for yet another drug resistant staph infection (MRSS). Hope he will be feeling better in no time. Laurie and Oscar |
| you poor guys mommie needs to come home soon |
| Ron, you might want to give Mulligan a PepCid Ac about half and hour before administering the meds. It will help coat the tummy and help with the possible tummy upset. Then give the med with food... Sorry to hear of the Lymes but glad they found the problem. Lymes is widespread down here too. My baby girl was just tested when she appeard with fever, etc. Tested negative thanfully. I am not familiar with the other diagnosis. Hope he imporves soon. Our paws are crossed... |
| All day long he was in zombie land, just staring blankly; refusing to budge, refusing to eat anything (that's a new one!), just totally whacko. Finally a couple of hours ago he seemed to be waking up and he was awake enough to take his second dose of Doxycycline about an hour ago at 11PM. |
| Glad to see your post, was wondering about Mulligan last evening. Glad for the diagnosis, fingers crossed for a quick recovery! |
| Poor ole Mulligan Easy to advise but generally not easy to put into practice, Ron make sure you don't burn yourself out! |
| Oh my gosh... they say that tick diseases can cause joint pain. Is he still taking his pain meds? I've heard that dogs with Lyme can have pain and also be depressed... maybe this explains the way Mulligan is acting. I'm glad you got a clear diagnosis for Mulligan's pain. Hoping he'll be feeling better soon and that you can both get some much needed rest. We suffer right along with them. |
| Well, except for the waterworks drooling and the very slow motion moving, Mulligan seems to be improving. His appetite is still very low, he sniffs the bread pill-wrapper very carefully, and spit his pills out. Then it was NO WAY with *any* treats so I needed to resort to pushing them down his throat. I hate doing that to the poor fella, but he needs his meds, especially since one was his Tagamet (stomach protector) and he was drooling so much I figure him for upset tummy. An hour later he was hungry so he got some kibble and his Deramaxx (in the chewable beef flavored treat format). Next he started drooling profusely again (did I mention it is LITERALLY like a faucet left on to trickle?) so I wanted to give him another Tagamet. For this pill he sniffed and refused a bread wrapper so he needed to be bribed with cheese. At least it is progress from pill shoving.  I've decided that he wants to stay outside. Most of his wide-eyed refusal-to-budge behavior was trying to take him in, so we've spent most of the day sitting on the front porch, which he seems to be enjoying quite a bit. I think I'm going to get that area a little fence when he's better. |
| Oh Ron, I feel your pain When my boy had the MRSA virus, he was on so many strong meds for such a long time, his tummy was a mess. And he also got smart and stopped taking them no matter what I wrapped them in. I too had to shove down the throat and felt terrible. I didn't have the drooling thing so can't comment on that. I did find that making a "cheese meatball" with the pill inside worked better than the pill pockets. I would trick him a bit by giving him some cheese first with nothing in it and then the one with the pill and tehn another with nothing in. It worked. My dog also loved to sit on the porch and we actually did fence in a little spot for him! Of course always be sure he has plenty of water with the meds....Maybe his tummy might do better with boiled chicken and rice rather than the kibble??? Hope he feels better soon. |
| Poor buddy... poor Ron too. Quote: Well, except for the waterworks drooling and the very slow motion moving, Mulligan seems to be improving. Is Mulligan taking the anti-vomiting med Cerenia or something similar for vomiting? It comes in both pill and injectable form. Hypersalavation is a side effect along with lethargy, lack of appetite, etc. Quote: Most dogs do very well on CERENIA. But as with all medicines, some dogs may experience side effects. Side effects are rare with CERENIA, but when they do occur, the most common ones are excessive drooling, lethargy, lack of appetite, and diarrhea. A few dogs may vomit after taking the medicine. Giving CERENIA with a small amount of food will help avoid this. Remember not to wrap the tablets tightly, so they can dissolve properly. Read More: http://www.pfizerah.com/PAHimages/compl ... liance.pdf Kaytee had been given Cerenia before to stop vomiting. Sheesh... I've never seen a dog drool like that before. It's off her list of acceptable meds. This may not be relevant but they often say to avoid dairy with Doxycycline because it interferes with the proper absorption of the meds. You might ask your vet if this applies to dogs too. If you have to use something other than cheese, you might try a ground up rather than chunky form of dog food. Sometimes putting the can in the fridge will firm it up making it easier to form around a pill. Doxy- Quote: Do not take the medication with milk or other dairy products, unless your doctor has told you to. Dairy products can make it harder for your body to absorb the medicine. Certain brands of doxycycline may not have restrictions about taking them with dairy products. If your doctor has instructed you to take doxycycline with milk, tell your pharmacist that you need a brand of doxycycline that can be taken with milk. Read more: http://www.drugs.com/doxycycline.html#ixzz10WlAlkEZ |
| Excellent info. Thank you. I wonder if the drooling was just held over from the Cerenia he was given by IV?  We will stop using cheese and go back to bread. He's interested in food again anyway, so the pilling has gotten much easier. Progress report: His drooling is calming down, nonetheless we are changing him over from the Tagamet to the Pepcid ac 20mg 2x a day (just got his first dose 1/2 hour ago). Everything I've read and been told suggests that it is a more powerful and highly effective med for dogs. He's still moving slowly (but not AS slow as yesterday) and he is still walking with his head turned and has trouble moving and turning/looking to the right. However all is improving -- just at different rates and more slowly than predicted. He bow-stretched for the first time today (he usually does this every time he gets up) and he got up and down from a low platform on his own without any sound of pain. I still worry that some damage may be lasting, but we'll cross that bridge... I'm more hopeful today than yesterday for a great outcome. A side note: We've been battling eye infection/irritation and ear issues for a long time. I wonder if they are related as the eye seems much less red than usual. I'm keepin my good eye on it !  |
| So glad to hear that Mulligan is doing a little better. Oscar also takes Pepcid AC, but he takes 40 mg once a day. When I read that Mulligan was taking Deramaxx, I was going to suggest the Pepcid, as that is what my vet prescribed and it has worked well for Oscar. I do exactly what Jaci described to give Oscar his myriad of meds. (He takes five different meds every morning, plus whatever antibiotic he happens to be on at the moment....) I take canned dog food and very thin bread and make tiny sandwiches with the pills pushed into the canned food. The bread keeps is from sticking inside his mouth, so he never has an opportunity to lick off the goodies and spit out the pills. Oscar gulps them down like they are the best thing ever, and believe me, they are chock full of pills! Now that Mulligan is keeping the doxy down, I think he's finally taken a few steps down the road to recovery. Keep it up, Mulligan! Laurie and Oscar |
Joan was filling me in a little about Mulligan. Hope he's back to his old self soon!  |
| Glad there's been a clear diagnosis with an excellent prognosis! Sounds like the pills are not a great experience but I am looking forward to when Mullie is back to his usual bouncy, stretching self. Good that you kept testing to figure out what was actually ailing him. Poor guy! He deserves extra belly rubs (maybe when his tummy is feeling better). |
| As of right now Mulligan is acting like he's 100%. We are still limiting activity, but he's stretching and bowing and happy to be around (except of course, when Joan leaves his sight for an instant) and eating and begging for more. So with the Pepcid AC protecting his tummy from the Doxycycline, and the Deramaxx and the Tramadol reducing any inflammation and relieving any pain, he might be feeling like a puppy pretty soon. I wonder if he's 100% well or it it is the medications making him feel well. Who knows. We'll continue on for another few weeks I suppose. It's nice to have a healthy doggy. |
| I'm glad to hear that you were able to get to the bottom of his pain. I read the thread early on and didn't even see that there was a diagnosis until now so that's such good news! |
| Ron, I hear what you're saying about him getting better or the meds are covering up his problem...As a human with some back issues, I can tell you, yes the meds do cover the pain to a certain extent. But the anti inflamtories help reduce the inflamation which helps the spine/back reallign itself. At least that is what the doctors tell me as a human problme fix! And I have been on anti infmals for a while and my back is much better... Hope Mullign continues to imporve. Glad the Pepcid Ac is working. I know we use that at any time our dogs are on medications. Always worked with us. Hope all continues.. |
| For Mulli, keep improving |
| Question about the pecid: Archie is still on deramaxx and I am afraid that soon the reduced half dose we've been giving him will not be enough. When you give the pepcid, do you give all at once? with the deramaxx? Edited to add: I am so glad that your boy is doing better! |
| For humans, it's best to give 20 minutes to an hour before a meal, so we give it about half an hour before the meal, and the Deramaxx is given during or right after the meal. I like to give it in the middle of the meal as I feel the rest of the meal will certainly move it into the stomach; Joan gives it after. Either is probably fine. |
| Glad you got to the bottom of it, hope Mulligan is feeling better |
| Yes, give the Pepcid AC about half an hour before giving the pills. We do the same...pepcid AC, half hour later food and then pills...Makes feeding a bit more time consuming but worth helping the tummy! Glad Mulligan is improving... |
| Something to have the Vet look at is his teeth. Look for a tooth that is grey or may have died. My dog was having similar symptoms and after several visits to the Vet he looked closely at the teeth and said one did not look good. I called my dentist and he said the symptoms and color of the tooth sounded like it may be the problem. The Vet removed the tooth and my dog was back to normal within a couple of days. Not so sure the issues other's have had are the same but the teeth should also be checked if issues with neck pain are showing. |
| Hi my name is June my dog MAX has the same problem right now I know a man who does wonderful work his name is George Schoefield, and he lives in Melbourne in Yoruke, he charges $10 and manipulates, like no one else can he has a great reputation, for fixing dogs, up with there necks shoulders, ect, he use to work in the greyhound industry he is 91 years old but my dog max has gone there twice, and been fixed up both twice, june |
| Hello guests, this thread is a couple of years old.. |
| My dog Lucy, age 15 had a neck that wouldn't turn and was in pain also. I took her to the chiropractic veterinarian and she adjusted her neck and she was much better almost right away! After one follow up she was fine. Her vertebrae was out of place and we still don't know why. Please take Mulli to the chiropractor!! |
| First of all, stop giving him aspirin. You can kill him. Here is a quote from About.com Veterinary Medicine: "aspirin is sometimes used for dogs, but only with caution and under veterinary supervision. Drugs containing acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol®) are very toxic, potentially fatal to both dogs and cats. Aspirin is in a class of drugs called NSAIDs - Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, and dogs are particularly sensitive to the gastrointestinal effects of; pain, bleeding, and ulceration that can be a side effect of these drugs. Coated aspirin helps with the gastrointestinal effects". I thought most people knew enough not to give their dogs aspirin. FYI: avoid chocolate, grapes, raisins, and onions as well. |
| Aspirin causes all those symptoms in humans as well and so does paracetamol. Both of these drugs can and are used to help manage pain in dogs but they should be used on your vet's advice and with his or her supervision. Doses are different for dogs so it's not wise to medicate them yourself and often your vet will want to run some bloods first or will be able to provide a safer alternative. |
| What about Vaccinosis? From what I can tell from my research vaccines can cause a whole host of acute and chronic diseases even 1+ year after the vaccine is given. |
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